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Press Releases

All press releases are posted as-is from companies and industry professionals. All press releases can be sent to lissa (a) kuriousity.ca. Kuriousity staff reserve the right not to post PR we do not feel is relevant to our site's readers.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Returns to North America!

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, July 8, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF THE CELEBRATED MANGA SERIES JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE TO NORTH AMERICA

First Three Parts Of The Acclaimed Multi-Generational Paranormal Action Adventure Manga Series Set For Digital And Print Release

San Francisco, CA, July 7, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, thrilled a packed audience of fans at the 2014 Anime Expo in Los Angeles this past weekend as it announced the much heralded return of creator Hirohiko Araki’s epic supernatural/action/adventure manga (graphic novel) series, JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE.

Volumes 1 and 2 of JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 3 – STARDUST CRUSADERS are now available digitally on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch as well as for Android-powered smart phones and 7” tablets. The digital volumes also may be purchased through the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. Subsequent editions will be released every week for a total of 16 volumes. JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and carries a digital MSRP of $6.99 US/CAN.

VIZ Media originally published the JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE STARDUST CRUSADERS manga story arc in print in 2005. Fans at the Anime Expo panel were further delighted with the news that the company’s SHONEN JUMP imprint also has acquired JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 1 – PHANTOM BLOOD and JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 2 – BATTLE TENDENCY and plans to release them digital as firsts across its proprietary and partner platforms in September 2014 and March 2015 respectively.

The print counterpart for JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 1 – PHANTOM BLOOD will launch in print beginning in February 2015, with JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 2 – BATTLE TENDENCY scheduled to debut Fall 2015.

In JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE, once there was a mighty bloodline of heroes: the Joestars. In the 1880s, Englishman Jonathan Joestar gave his life to defeat Dio, a megalomaniacal vampire. Now, 100 years later, Dio is back, and Jonathan’s descendants must travel to Egypt to destroy their ancestral enemy once and for all.

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Tags: Digital, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

PR: On July 1st, Nice Guys Finish First in the Endearing and Laugh-Out-Loud MY LOVE STORY!! from Viz Media

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Friday, June 27, 2014

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NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST IN NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY MANGA SERIES MY LOVE STORY!! FROM VIZ MEDIA

Creator Of HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT Offers An Endearing Laugh-Out-Loud Story About An Underdog Who Finally Finds Love

San Francisco, CA, June 26, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, expands the catalog for its popular Shojo Beat imprint with the debut of the manga (graphic novel) series – MY LOVE STORY!! – on July 1st.

The new release, written by the author of the bestselling manga HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT, is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry a print MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. Future volumes of the continuing series are scheduled to be published 4 times a year.

A digital version also will launch on July 1st for $6.99 (USD/CAN) on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as for the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

In MY LOVE STORY!!, Takeo Goda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don’t want him! (They always go for his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn! Takeo can hardly believe it when he crosses paths with Yamato again, and he finds himself falling in love with her… But with handsome Sunakawa around, does Takeo even stand a chance?

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Tags: My Love Story!!, Viz Media

PR: VIZ Media Debuts Intense New Manga Of Humanity’s Future Gone Awry in TERRA FORMARS

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 25, 2014

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MAN’S COLONIZATION OF MARS GOES SHOCKINGLY AWRY IN THE INTENSE NEW SCI-FI HORROR MANGA SERIES TERRA FORMARS

Off-World Terror Takes A Deadly New Form In A Gripping Sci-Fi Action Series From VIZ Media’s Signature Imprint

San Francisco, CA, June 25, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, administers a spine-tingling dose of sci-fi horror with the launch of the new manga (graphic novel) series – TERRA FORMARS – on July 15th.

The series, illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana with story by Yu Sasuga, will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. Future volumes of TERRA FORMARS, which is continuing in Japan, will be released domestically on a bi-monthly basis.

In the late 26th century, overpopulation on Earth has reached the breaking point and humanity must find new frontiers. The terraforming of Mars has taken centuries but is now complete. The colonization of Mars by humanity is an epoch-making event, but an unintended side effect of the terraforming process unleashes a horror no one could ever have imagined…

In the opening volume, after humanity’s first manned mission to the Red Planet was lost, a second expedition arrives. The explorers prepare to exterminate the cockroaches that were used to transform the Martian environment, but are shocked to discover that the insects have mutated into giant, aggressive humanoids with one overriding goal – to exterminate all humans! However, this crew of explorers has each undergone the “Bugs Procedure,” a terrifying experimental surgery designed to make them more than human…

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Tags: Terra Formars, Viz Media, Viz Signature

PR: Naoki Urasawa’s Monster Manga Series Returns to Print In New Perfect Edition

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 25, 2014

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NAOKI URASAWA’S MONSTER MANGA SERIES RETURNS TO PRINT IN NEW PERFECT EDITION RELEASE FROM VIZ MEDIA

New Definitive Edition Of The Acclaimed Psychological Manga Thriller Delivers A Tense Crime Drama Filled With Conspiracy, Political Intrigue And Murder

San Francisco, CA, June 24, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, is proud to announce the release of the ultimate collection of creator Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed manga (graphic novel) suspense masterpiece. MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION, Vol. 1 will debut on July 15th. The new print-only oversized release will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN.

MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION is the ultimate version of the acclaimed psychological crime thriller. This new release features a new translation, remastered pages, and a generous amount of full-color content. Future volumes of MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION will be released four times a year in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand for a total of nine volumes covering the entire series.

In Naoki Urasawa’s MONSTER, Johan is a cold and calculating killer with a mysterious past, and brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him! Conspiracy and serial murder open the door to a compelling, intricately woven plot in this masterwork of suspense. In the first volume of the new PERFECT EDITION, everyone faces uncertainty at some point in their lives. Even a brilliant surgeon like Kenzo Tenma is no exception. But there’s no way he could have known that his decision to stop chasing professional success and instead concentrate on his oath to save peoples’ lives would result in the birth of an abomination. The questions of good and evil now take on a terrifyingly real dimension. Years later, in Germany during the tumultuous post-reunification period, middle-aged childless couples are being killed one after another. The serial killer’s identity is known. The reasons why he kills are not. Dr. Tenma sets out on a journey to find the killer’s twin sister, who may hold some clues to solving the enigma of the “Monster.”

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Tags: Monster, Naoki Urasawa, Viz Media

PR: Digital Manga, Inc. To Launch Captain Ken by Osamu Tezuka Kickstarter

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 4, 2014

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Gardena, CA (June 3, 2014) Digital Manga, Inc. has launched a new project on crowd-funding site Kickstarter to translate and publish Osamu Tezuka’s shonen title Captain Ken volumes 1 and 2 for ages 16+ in English for the first time. From June 3 until July 3, fans will be able to pledge for publication of the books and receive Kickstarter exclusive rewards including early release copies of both volumes, the digital companion with featured translation notes, decals, bandanas, messenger bags, and a handmade plush of Captain Ken’s horse, Arrow.

If fans pledge a total of $13,000 or more by the deadline, both volumes of Captain Ken will be released simultaneously for Kickstarter backers to receive in February of 2015, before hitting bookstore shelves in March of 2014, through DMI’s Platinum Manga classics imprint. Swallowing the Earth, Barbara, Unico, Triton Vol. 1 & 2, and Atom Cat were all successfully funded in previous Kickstarter campaigns, but Captain Ken will be first young adult fiction to add to Digital Manga’s Tezuka collection.

Captain Ken takes place after Earth’s colonization of Mars, causing the uprising and civil conflict between the space cowboy colonizers and the native Martians. The story opens up with a diary entry from a Martian, recalling the history of how Earthlings came to be the supreme rulers of Mars.

“It started in the year 1983, when these ‘Earthlings’ landed on our home. Our ancestors approached the strange creatures, but that was when their terror started…we didn’t know for how long this dark period would last.
Then one day, he came…”

This savior who comes to their aid is Captain Ken. He is a mysterious vigilante from Earth who travels to Mars on a secret mission with Arrow, his noble steed who also happens to be a fully stocked armory on four legs. The arrival of this young gunslinger is the start of a chain of events which includes the unveiling of Governor Devon’s corrupted government and the retaliation against Martian slavery by rebel Martians. Ken’s first appearance on Mars also coincidentally coincides with the arrival of an Earthling girl named Kenn Minakami, who bears striking resemblance to him and thus raises further questions and speculations about Ken’s true identity and his role in this fight for Mars.

In this young adult manga, Tezuka pays homage to some of the most prominent historical moments such as the Gold Rush in the West, colonization, genocide, and nuclear warfare.

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Tags: Captain Ken, Digital Manga, Kickstarter, Osamu Tezuka

PR: Viz Media’s Perfect Square Imprint Acquires Pokemon Adventures X & Y Manga Series

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 4, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA’S PERFECT SQUARE IMPRINT ACQUIRES POKÉMON ADVENTURES X & Y MANGA SERIES

New All-Ages Manga Adventure Inspired By The Latest Generation of Pokémon Video Games Join an Expansive Catalog Of POKÉMON Manga Titles Published In North America

San Francisco, CA, June 4, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced the acquisition of the domestic publishing and digital media rights for the POKÉMON ADVENTURES X & Y manga (graphic novel) series. The manga is based on the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games, which launched globally for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems in October 2013.

The new release will launch the latest story arc for the popular entertainment property and joins VIZ Media’s expansive catalog of POKÉMON manga and anime titles. The POKÉMON ADVENTURES X & Y series is rated ‘A’ for All Ages and will debut its first volume in print and digitally in December under the company’s Perfect Square imprint. Future volumes of the series, which is also ongoing in Japan, will be published twice yearly.

POKÉMON ADVENTURES X & Y is written by Hidenori Kusaka with artwork by Satoshi Yamamoto. As the new Champion of the Pokémon Battle Junior Tournament in the Kalos region, X is hailed as a child prodigy. But when all the media attention proves to be too much for him, he holes up in his room to hide from everyone, including his best friends. What will it take to get him to come out?! How about an attack on his hometown of Vaniville Town by the two new Legendary Pokémon, Xerneas and Yveltal, and a mysterious organization named Team Flare…?

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Tags: Perfect Square, Pokemon, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Marks the Return of Hunter x Hunter Manga With Special Promotion

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, May 29, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA MARKS THE RETURN OF SMASH HIT ACTION/ADVENTURE MANGA HUNTER X HUNTER WITH SPECIAL PRINT AND DIGITAL PROMOTION

Long-Running Fantasy Adventure Returns With Brand New Chapters In WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP On June 2nd; Fans Can Dive Into The Entire Series With Special Promo Pricing

VIZ Media celebrates the return this summer of HUNTER X HUNTER with a special digital and print sale on all volumes of the hit action/adventure series. Brand new chapters of creator Yoshihiro Togashi’s long-running manga (graphic novel) are set to debut in the Japanese edition of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on Monday, June 2nd and will also appear the same day in the North American digital counterpart published by VIZ Media and available at: http://shonenjump.viz.com.

For a limited time, from May 26th thru June 9th, HUNTER X HUNTER (rated ‘T+ for Teens) Volumes 1-32 on the VIZManga.com platform will be $2.00 off their regular MSRP ($6.99), making all volumes available for only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) each. The sale price will be available through VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga app for iOS and Android, and special pricing may be available through the digital partners storefronts for Nook, Kindle, GooglePlay, iBooks and Kobo.

In addition, manga fans can also catch print editions of HUNTER X HUNTER at 40% off their regular MSRP ($9.99 USD) when ordered through the Barnes & Noble web site at: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/manga/379003481.

In the HUNTER X HUNTER manga series, Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other people. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.

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Tags: Hunter x Hunter, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Releases New Volume for Hit Millennium Snow Manga Series

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, May 22, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF THE HIT SHOJO MANGA SERIES MILLENNIUM SNOW

Catch The Digital And Print Debut Of A Brand New Volume From Creator Bisco Hatori’s Paranormal Romance Series; New 2-In-1 Omnibus Manga Release For Earlier Volumes Also Debuts

San Francisco, CA, May 20, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, invites manga (graphic novel) fans to mark to the much-awaited digital and print debut on June 3rd of a brand new volume from Bisco Hatori’s hit manga (graphic novel) series – MILLENNIUM SNOW – as well as the release on the same day of a new 2-in-1 omnibus print edition.

Volume 3 of the romance about a handsome young vampire and an ailing teenage girl will be published under the Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry a print MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The new release marks the return of the critically acclaimed series after it had been put on hiatus by the creator and has never before been released in English.

A digital version of MILLENNIUM SNOW, Vol. 3 also will debut on June 3rd for $6.99 (USD/CAN) on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. Volumes 1-2 of MILLENNIUM SNOW are available across multiple platforms from the extensive VIZ Media digitally catalog.

Fans also can catch the two earlier volumes of MILLENNIUM SNOW with a new 2-in-1 omnibus print version that also releases on June 3rd and bundles Vols. 1-2 into a handy single edition. The 2-in-1 omnibus edition is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

In Bisco Hatori’s acclaimed series, seventeen-year-old Chiyuki Matsuoka was born with heart problems, and her doctors say she won’t live to see the next snow. Toya is an 18-year-old vampire who hates blood and refuses to make the traditional partnership with a human, whose life-giving blood would keep them both alive for a thousand years.

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Tags: Bisco Hatori, Millennium Snow, Omnibus, Shojo Beat, Viz Media

PR: Revisit The Brutal Action With BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER One-ShotManga!

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, May 22, 2014

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THE KILL OR BE KILLED SAGA OF BATTLE ROYALE CONTINUES AS VIZ MEDIA RELEASES NEW MANGA ONE-SHOT BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER

Creator Of Original BATTLE ROYALE Novel Koushun Takami Returns With The Graphic Full Story Of The Girls In The Lighthouse

San Francisco, CA, May 21, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the release on June 17th of BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER, a new one-shot manga (graphic novel) written by Koushun Takami, author of the original BATTLE ROYALE novel.

BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER debuts in print from the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. The new single-volume release reveals for the first time in graphic novel form the full story and grisly demise of the girls in the lighthouse that was so memorably featured in the original BATTLE ROYALE book and live-action film. BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER features artwork by Mioko Ohnishi and Youhei Oguma.

A digital version will also launch for $8.99 (USD/CAN) on June 17th on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

Author Koushun Takami’s notorious literary thriller, BATTLE ROYALE, possessed an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan – where it then proceeded to become a runaway best seller – Battle Royale has become a Lord of the Flies for the 21st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world.

In BATTLE ROYALE: ANGELS’ BORDER, most of the students from Shiroiwa Junior High scatter as soon as they reach the remote island where they must participate in the latest round of the Program. But Yukie Utsumi and five of her friends lock themselves in the lighthouse, clinging to a desperate hope of survival. They all trust each other, but they also know that only one can survive the Battle Royale…

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Tags: Battle Royale, Viz Media

PR: Apocalyptic Vampire Manga SERAPH OF THE END Debuts June 3rd In Print & Digital!

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, May 15, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF NEW SHONEN JUMP SERIES SERAPH OF THE END: VAMPIRE REIGN

A Young Orphan Borrows Demonic Power to Battle Bloodthirsty Vampires That Have Enslaved The Earth

San Francisco, CA, May 14, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, delivers a new manga (graphic novel) title straight from the pages of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP as it announces the print and digital launch on June 3rd of the apocalyptic vampire series, SERAPH OF THE END.

The series, illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto with story by Takaya Kagami and storyboards by Daisuke Furuya, will be published under the Shonen Jump Advanced imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The debut volume also features a fold-out full-color poster, as well as revealing author commentary. Future volumes of the continuing series are scheduled to be published domestically 3 times a year.

A digital version of SERAPH OF THE END: VAMPIRE REIGN will also launch on June 3rd for $6.99 (USD/CAN) on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, and Android-powered smart phones. It will also be available through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

After trumpets of the apocalypse proclaim the fall of humanity, vampires arise from the shadows to rule the earth. Yuichiro wants just one thing – to get revenge by killing each and every vampire. Yuichiro’s dream is near-impossible, given that vampires are seven times stronger than humans, and the only way to kill them is by mastering Cursed Gear, advanced demon-possessed weaponry. Not to mention that humanity’s most elite Vampire Extermination Unit, the Moon Demon Company, wants nothing to do with Yuichiro unless he can prove he’s willing to work in a team – which is the last thing he wants!

The latest chapters of SERAPH OF THE END: VAMPIRE REIGN are also currently serialized in VIZ Media’s WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP digital manga anthology, alongside legendary series such as BLEACH, NARUTO and ONE PIECE.

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Tags: seraph of the end, Shonen Jump, Viz Media